There is a move in the semiconductor industry to move to a ubiquitous wireless communication. Future System on Chip (SoC) solutions will require small form factor to enable system integration. With the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) deallocating a huge continuous block of 7 Gigahertz (GHz) of spectrum between 57 and 64 GHz (millimeter wave) for wireless communication without any license fee, more and more communication devices will start communication in this range. With their high frequencies, millimeter-waves are suited to ultra-high-speed data transfer, while a further advantage is their ability to transfer data using small antennas.
Previous studies have utilized active metal layers, particularly high front side metal layers to create on-chip antenna. This may require using valuable active layer area to be occupied by the antenna. Alternatively, the prior art has used off chip antennas, which require a large area. In addition, space may be needed between the antenna and active layer to isolate cross talk.